World News in brief for May 22, 2012

Yemeni leaders led a sombre ceremony to mark the country’s national day, scaling back celebrations a day after a suicide bombing killed nearly 100 soldiers; a tentative deal has been reached with Iran that will allow the UN nuclear agency to restart a probe into suspicions Tehran is developing nuclear arms and Japan has been downgraded to A-plus with a negative outlook by a leading credit rating agency.

YEMEN: Yemeni leaders led a sombre ceremony today to mark the country’s national day, scaling back celebrations a day after a suicide bombing killed nearly 100 soldiers during a rehearsal for a military parade.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, along with senior military commanders, government officials and foreign diplomats, took part in a small, symbolic parade inside Sanaa’s Aviation Academy.

IRAN: A tentative deal has been reached with Iran that will allow the UN nuclear agency to restart a long-stalled probe into suspicions that Tehran has secretly worked on developing nuclear arms, the UN nuclear chief said today.

The news from International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano comes a day before Iran and six world powers meet in Baghdad for negotiations, and could present a turning point in the dispute over Iran’s nuclear intentions.

JAPAN: A leading credit rating agency has downgraded Japan to A-plus with a negative outlook, reflecting risks about its ballooning government debt.

Fitch Ratings said the downgrade and negative outlook underline growing risks for Japan from high and rising public debt.

BURMA: Burma’s government made an uncharacteristic plea for understanding today after chronic power cuts set off rare protests in the south-east Asian country that is easing toward democracy after decades of military rule.

A candlelight vigil is planned at Yangon’s City Hall after two days of rallies in Mandalay that drew hundreds of people in the largest protests since the army crushed monk-led demonstrations in 2007.

SOUTH AFRICA: A controversial painting that draws attention to South African president Jacob Zuma’s genitals and his reputation for promiscuity has been defaced.

Two men wielding cans of red and black paint entered a Johannesburg gallery today and obscured sections of the picture.

SOUTH AFRICA: A black farm worker was found guilty today of murdering a white supremacist in rural South Africa.

Chris Mahlangu was convicted at a court in Ventersdorp, west of Johannesburg, of beating Eugene Terreblanche to death with an iron rod in April 2010.

ZIMBABWE: Dozens of miners are trapped underground at a platinum mine in southern Zimbabwe, a mineworkers union said today.

Twenty miners were rescued after conveyor equipment collapsed at the Mimosa platinum mine, about 248 miles south of the capital Harare, but 65 are still trapped, the National Mine Workers Union said.

POLAND: Polish health officials are to distribute free condoms to hundreds of thousands of football fans attending Euro 2012.

Officials say the safe sex campaign advocating the use of condoms will be held in all four Euro 2012 host cities in Poland.